HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5919, 28 January 1881, Page 5

HARBOUR BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Harbonr Board was held yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs K. Ramsay (chairman), H. Guthrie, J. Mill, W. BridgmaD, H. J. Walter, G. 0; Matheaon, E. Paterson, A. Burfc, and Captain Logan. ACCOUNTS. It was agreed that the annual accounts of the Board should come up for final settlement at the ordinary meeting of the Board on the 10th of February. The bank-book was laid on the table, and showed a debit balance of L 10.628 14s. OOBBESPONDENOE. The following memo, from the Board's Ens>i neer w«q received, and referred to the Works Committee :r— As I before reported, an accident of a serious nature occurred to the launch Reynolds, whereby the boiler has suffered considerable damage. On making inquiries, I find that it was caused through negligence on the part of the engineer, who, it will be seen, from the attached letter, has sent in his resignation. If r Baird's report upon the damage and the cost of repairs is .herewith forwarded, wherein it is estimated that the latter will probably amount to £120. In effecting the repairs. : I should strongly recommend that they be executed by day labour. This, 1 find, will be the cheapest and most satisfactory mode of procedure., The present blacksmith staff could be utilised to a. great extent.—l have.&c, D. L. Simpson, Engineer. .'■■/ : ..■> ; A letter was reseived from the Chief Harbourmaster, who, at the request of Pildt Kelly, recommended that the pilot should be allowed to remove from the Heads to Port Chalmers.— The consideration of the letter was deferred for a fortnight.' ' • TIME-BALL. ■■"• The following petition, which was signed by 11 shipmasters, was received: — Port Chalmers, January 26th, 1881. To the Chairman and Members of the Otago Harbour Board. . . ~ < | Gentlemen, —We, the undersigned, masters of vessels at present in port of Otago, respectfully desire to draw your attention to the great disadvantages under which we labour in consequence of the disuse of the timeball at Port Chalmers, and desire to urge upon you the great necessity which exists for the appointment of some competent person to work the ball and otherwise attend to the duties of the signal-station at this port. We trust our application will meet your favourable consideration. ' : The Chairman said he had to report that Mr Logan, the inspector' of telegraphs, had received instructions to have the matter attended to on Friday, and that the timeball would be worked in connection with the telegraph. • : Mr Mill moved that the prayer of the petition be granted. It was, he said, very important that the time-ball should be established, and he considered that the time-ball at the signal-station should be re-established, and that they should not go to the expense of having a time-ball erected in connection with the tele-graph-office. '■."- Mr Btjrt seconded the adoption of the motion pro forma. Captain Looan said that a timo-ball was a very good thing, but there was not one of the masters of the ships he had anything to do with that ever regulated his chronometers by it, and he was not aware that any master ever rated his chronometer by the time-ball. He had attempted to rate chronometers by the time-ball, but for some reason, _ probably because of the ball not falling to time, he had never succeeded. Wb.6n chronomotors were • sent up to the time-ball keeper a very good rate was got, but he did not think masters could rate their chronometers by it. '

Mr Matheson Baid that a? a time-ball was to be established at the Port the prayer of the memorial would be granted, although the old-time-ball on the hill would not be again used. ■'-'-.•"■ ■■••■

Mr Mill thought the time-ball should be' at the signal-station. ' .Captain Thomson having been asked his opinion,'said that a time-ball, if taken advantage of; was of great use to shipmasters, but aa a role they, did not regulate their own chronometers, but sent them to those who undertook to regulate them, He had received a

> d telegram from Mr Logan (inspector of ti?JoI graphs), who was to meet him at the Port on Friday to arrange for the institution of a tiVe-ball in connection with the telegraphoffioe. The motion made by Jfr Mill was negatived, and it was fcfisolved to inform the memorialists that a time-L ail would be erected shortly. WORKS COMMITTEE. The following report of the Works Commit- j tee was received and adopted:— Your Committee reports on remits as follows:— 1. Application from Dunedin, Peninsula, and Ocean Beach Railway Company for temporary site for engine-shed.—Recommended to grant room for engineshed on site asked during Board's pleasure, at the rental of £5 per annum. 2. Repairs to Flagstaff at Heads.—lnspector of Works to examine, and report estimated cost. 3. A Boat for Keeper of Leading Lights.—Authorised to be purchased ; also repairs to astronomical clock. The Chief Harbourmaster has also boen instructed to push on the arrangements with the Telegraph Department for working the time-ball at Port Chalmers'with as little delay as possible. 4. Messrs ilatheson Brothers' tender for widening Union street extension across Pelichet Bay (£179) has been accepted, and the work begun. A little further outlay will be necessary to protect the earthwork from being washed away by the tidal scour. The total estimated cost was £520. 5. Accounts for repairs to dredges and steamers having been inquired into to ascertain the cause of the great excess in actual cost as compared to the estimate furnished the Board, your Committee, after considering written, as well as verbal, explanations from the Engineer and luspector of Machinery, resolved that, inasmuch as the Engineer is satisfied that the work was required to be done and was done, recommended that R. S. Sparrow and Co.'s accounts be paid—Chairman dissenting; note to be taken that wages were included in- actual cost, and also sundry ship's stores and equipments. The Secretary was instructed to examine the returns and supply an analysis of the '' accounts for the Board's meeting. 6. Damage to the Launch Reynolds' Boiler.—From the reports furnished the Committee it would appear that the damage has resulted from the carelessness and neglect of the engineer in charge of her, Charles Lilly, who immediately resigned. The Inspector of Machinery has been instructed to have a complete specification of repairs made out. The Inspector wiving reported that he had not had under his charge ;he launch Reynolds, it was resolved that in future he oe directed to exercise supervision over the launch, as well as machinery of the Board afloat. 7. The Committee has received reports on the trial ot Westport coal, but consideration had to be postponed till next meeting. 8. Floating- Dock Company's Application re Improvement of Dock Site by Deepening.—Attached is a report from the Board's Engineer, after consultation \vitn the Chief Harbourmaster, and is recommended for adoption. ■ i - : ' 9. The Committee has not yet received the Engineers report on the channel, or upon the proposed scheme of roadway on piles across to Grant's Braes but expect to have them shortly. «>*«. a, HARBOURMASTER'S REPORT. ; The following annual report of tbe Harbourmaster s Daparlmect was received : — , I have the honour to furnish you with a report for ute 12 months ending 31st December, 18S0, on the department under my charge, as follows :— Strength and disposition of staff—Chief Harbourmaster, headquarters, Port Chalmers; one assistantdo, station, Port Chalmers; two-pilots, station, Port ' unaimers; one boatswain, station, Port Chalmers; one pilot, acting assistant harbourmaster, station, Dunedin; one boatswain, station, Dunedin; one nightwatchman, itation, Duuedin; one pilot, station the ; Heads; one coxswain and four men in pilot boat, station, the Heads; one signalmaster, station, the "nr'LT hShtkeePer, station, the leading lights; one lightship-keeper,-station, the Lower Harbour-— ■otal strength, 17. During the year a reduction of one ' in the pilot staff has been made, and the vacancy caused _by the death of Captain Robertson, ?-4.Au^ signalmastcr..and■ time-ball keeper at - ort Chalmers, has not been filled up. The Government las issued instructions to the Telegraph Department to erect the time-ball at the Telegraph Office, Port : .halmere, which will be attended to immediately The I ime w ,n be g,ven from Wellington, and dropping the i ball will be under the direction of Mr Downes, the officer in charge of that department at Port Chalmers, }? ?il Oni- ha^e every confidence, and am satisfied that the time-signals will" be given by him with great accuracy. The signal : station at the Port has m the meantime been abandoned. During the year there has been much Mckncss among the pilots, which necessitated the employment of extra hands occai si on July. , - . ■ .The Lightship—The lightship at the beginning of : the year passed through the hands of the Inspector of overhaur 1 S°°n be requirsn B the usual annual : Buoys and Beacons.—The buoys and beacons by a ■ rotary process, are overhauled once in the year, and . are at present all in good order. Pilot Boats.—The pilot boats and buoy-launch have ; passed through the hands of the Inspector of Works and are at present all in good order and fully Depth of Water in the Channel—The depth at low I water in the north channel at the Heads has never varied, being 19 feet throughout the year. The depth at low water in the south channel has only ranged ! . from 16 to 16i feet, and throughout the previous year ', it ranged from 15 to 16i feet. No change has taken place in the depth of water in mid-channel from the \ Heads up to Dunedin, by way of the long channel in the Upper Harbour The great difficulty with which the J&^M?l^ to,. con,tend cutting the new channel . through the sandbank has now been overcome, and \ the erection of the half tide wall has directed the tide ! on the same line, and so increased the velocity of the i current in the channel as.to set up waves (when the wind is against the tide) heavier than ever experienced in. that locality thereby indicating such a scour as , will be very effective in keeping the new channel . Port Chalmers—Throughout the year there'hat ! been a considerable falling off from the usual shipping, as the hereinafter return will show. The Government • new wharf is finished except the rails, which are not ; ™ X °^ a On * *J yet- and on'y squires deepening on , each side, and from the outer end to the main channel, to make it available for tho intercolonial steamers. ■ Four moonng-buoys have been laid down, and vessels drawing 16 feet and under are moored to them . thereby giving opportunity to keep the channel clear J and materially lessening the risk of collision to the steamboat traffic at night. : ««. Graving Dock and Floating Dock —Fifty-nine " vessels _have been in, the Graving Dock during the . year, ihe income from same was £2255 16s lOd and , expenditure £1265 12s lOd. ' Thirty-four vessels, 20 ' barges, and the side-dredge have been ia. the Floating , Dunedin Wharves—Now and then a throng occurs ' at the steamer basin that makes it difficult to accom-' modate every vessel to the satisfaction of all con- I cerned. Such difficulty, however, is daily b. ing overcome by access to the new Cross Wharf, and very soon l^m %vP? *-° oCcupy the SE" Bide ot the °ism for traffic. What is wanted now is another shed at the lower end of Rattray street Wharf. The Channel Lights—The channel lights are carefully attended to by officers in the Engineer's depart- : ment and continue to be a great boon to shipmasters. ' Certificates of Exemption from pilotage —Thirtyfive certificates of exemption from Pilotage for the port of Dunedin have been issued to masters and mates of vessels during the year. _ Masters and Mates' Certificates of CompetencyTwenty ships officers made application during the year to be examined in navigation and seamanship. Mnetcen passed their examination successfully and < obtained certificates of competency as masters and < mates, and one failed in navigation. SHIPPING RETURNS. . , 1 1879. 1880. I . Vessels' Tons Vessels Tons Foreign :.. 81 - 70,770 .. 54 - 39 918 ' Intercolonial 77 - 251359 .. 63 - *0101 Coasting ■„ 951-189,717 .. 888 - IS^OSS Whalers .. 6—745 .. 8_ ■ • J45 f Totals .. 1118 286,591 10U • 242,819 ' The above returns show a decrease from the pre- ] vious year of— * ( 30 foreign traders, representing 30,852 tons 14 intercolonial „ 5 25S } 63 coasting . * t'kro " 1 Total b ' " " 7>66Z »'. Vsls.lol Total tonnage .. 43,772 ' William Thomson, Harbourmaster. ,